PDF Document Accessibility Testing Checklist

Perform the following accessibility checks to ensure your PDF documents are accessible.

Overview

The following accessibility checks are phrased as yes/no questions; a “Yes” response means the document or content passes the check, while a “No” response means an accessibility issue is present and should be remediated.

Accessibility checks are categorized by the level of skill required to perform the check. Level 1 checks are the simplest to perform, while level 4 checks require more advanced skills.   Each level builds from the checks in the previous level. Digital content creators can develop their accessibility skills by learning how to perform more advanced checks. 

• Level 1: Run automated tests and fix any errors found
• Level 2: Manual verification of visible content
• Level 3: Manual verification of document properties
• Level 4: Preparing to finalize 

Level 1: Test with Automated Tools and Fix Findings 

• Was the automated accessibility checker used?
• Were any errors found fixed? 

How to use the PDF automated checker 

Level 2: Check Visible Content and Fix Findings 

• Is there only one Heading 1 present?
• Are all headings in order and nested properly?
• Is the reading order of each page logical?
• Are the font choices clear, legible, and do they adhere to font size recommendations (12 pts minimum)?
• Are sans serif fonts used for the body text?
• Is all hyperlink text unique and descriptive?
• Is the use of color only to indicate meaning avoided?
• Do all images have meaningful alt text and graphics irrelevant to the content set as decorative?
• Are clear completion instructions including identification of required fields for forms included at the top of every form?
• Do all tables have a header row and/or a header column?
• Are tables avoided for visual formatting of content? 

Level 3: Check Document Properties and Fix Findings

• Does the document contain proper metadata (e.g., title, language)?
• Is the content visible in high contrast mode and dark theme?
• Are images of text avoided?
• Are the tags accurate for the content and the order of tags accurate?
• Are all tables simple with no merged, split, or empty cells or multiple header rows?
• Does each table have a descriptive caption or associated title?
• Do form fields have appropriate tooltips, descriptions, and tags?
• Do form field tooltips match visible labels for form fields?
• Are all interactive components actionable using just a keyboard? (tab to navigate, space/enter to activate and typing or using arrow keys to complete fields)
• Is keyboard focus visible with an outline around the element such as a link or button?
• Do focusable elements receive focus in a meaningful order left to right, top to bottom?
• Does the color contrast between text and background, link text and background, and graphics and background meet 4.5:1 for text and 3:1 for large text and images minimum contrast requirements? 

Level 4: Preparation and Final Steps 

• Are text alternatives provided for complex charts and graphs?
• Are empty paragraphs and empty tags removed?
• Are graphics clear and understandable in grayscale?
• Is language translation provided for critical information? 

Downloads

Additional Resources

Digital Accessibility Fundamentals  Video Accessibility  Overview of PDF tags  Screen reader good and bad PDF demo  Creating accessible PDFs with Acrobat Pro  PDF Form Accessibility